'Mustang Sally' Singer Wilson Pickett Dies Of Heart Attack - MTV mtv Jennifer Vineyard 01/19/2006 Soul legend Wilson Pickett had a heart attack and died while seeking help at a hospital in Reston, Virginia, near his home in Ashburn on Thursday (January 19); he was 64 years old. Pickett, who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991, helped shape modern R&B with his stripped-down classics like "In the Midnight Hour" and "Mustang Sally." His gruff voice, raw sexuality and sweaty style earned him the nickname of "the Wicked Pickett." Pickett's 40-plus-year career started when he sang gospel in Southern Baptist churches in Pratville, Alabama. Later as a teen in Detroit, Pickett joined the vocal group the Violinaires and eventually the Falcons, who had a hit with "I Found a Love," which Pickett wrote.

Going solo, he had hits with "If You Need Me" and "It's Too Late." After signing to Atlantic in 1964, producer Jerry Wexler took him to Stax Studios in Memphis, Tennessee, where Pickett recoreded with Booker T. and the MG's. Within a year, Pickett co-wrote his best-remembered song — and Stax's first breakout hit — "In the Midnight Hour," which introduced a deeper and more forceful style of soul music. Much of the flurry of songs that followed, most of which were recorded at Stax and at the Fame Studio in Muscle Shoals, Alabama — such as "Funky Broadway" and "Land of 1000 Dances" — were pop hits as well. He collaborated with Philadelphia producers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff for his hits "Engine Number 9" and "Don't Let the Green Grass Bring You Down," which became part of the cornerstone of the emerging Philly sound. One Philadelphia DJ called his music "psychedelic soulization." "Wilson was a consummate entertainer," his longtime manager Margo Lewis said.

"He truly loved to perform, and when he took the stage, he would give the audience every last bit of energy in his body. The unique sound and quality of his voice only got better with age, singing his hits in their original keys well into his 60s. He influenced generations of singers and musicians. No matter what your age is, his records will pull you out of your seat onto the dance floor. Soulful and intense, that was Pickett, the music and the man." Although he didn't actually appear in the "The Commitments," it helped introduce him to a new audience, since the hit film focused on the efforts of a fledgling Dublin soul band to meet and perform with Pickett, who was their idol. Pickett performed with the Commitments at the film's premieres in New York and Los Angeles. Pickett is survived by his fiancee, Gail Webb, his sons Lynderrick and Michael, his daughters Veda and Saphan, as well as several brothers and sisters. A viewing of his body is being arranged in Virginia for next week, and then he'll be interred with his mother, Lena, in Louisville, Kentucky.

Wilson Pickett on Apple Music To preview a song, mouse over the title and click Play. Open iTunes to buy and download music. Biography Of the major '60s soul stars, Wilson Pickett was one of the roughest and sweatiest, working up some of the decade's hottest dancefloor grooves on hits like "In the Midnight Hour," "Land of 1000 Dances," "Mustang Sally," and "Funky Broadway." Although he tends to be held in somewhat lower esteem than more versatile talents like Otis Redding and Aretha Franklin, he is often a preferred alternative of fans who like their soul on the rawer side. He also did a good deal to establish the sound of Southern soul with his early hits, which were often written and recorded with the cream of the session musicians in Memphis and Muscle Shoals.

Before establishing himself as a solo artist, Pickett sang with the Falcons, who had a Top Ten R&B hit in 1962 with "I Found a Love." "If You Need Me" (covered by the Rolling Stones) and "It's Too Late" were R&B hits for the singer before he hooked up with Atlantic Records, who sent him to record at Stax in Memphis in 1965. One early result was "In the Midnight Hour," whose chugging horn line, loping funky beats, and impassioned vocals combined into a key transitional performance that brought R&B into the soul age. It was an R&B chart-topper and a substantial pop hit (number 21), though its influence was stronger than that respectable position might indicate: thousands of bands, black and white, covered "In the Midnight Hour" on-stage and record in the 1960s. Pickett had a flurry of other galvanizing soul hits over the next few years, including "634-5789," "Mustang Sally," and "Funky Broadway," all of which, like "In the Midnight Hour," were frequently adapted by other bands as dance-ready numbers.

The king of that hill, though, had to be "Land of 1000 Dances," Pickett's biggest pop hit (number six), a soul anthem of sorts with its roll call of popular dances, and covered by almost as many acts as "Midnight Hour" was. Pickett didn't confine himself to the environs of Stax for long; soon he was also cutting tracks at Muscle Shoals. He recorded several early songs by Bobby Womack. He used Duane Allman as a session guitarist on a hit cover of the Beatles' "Hey Jude." He cut some hits in Philadelphia with Gamble & Huff productions in the early '70s. He even did a hit version of the Archies' "Sugar, Sugar." The hits kept rolling through the early '70s, including "Don't Knock My Love" and "Get Me Back on Time, Engine Number 9." One of the corollaries of '60s soul is that if a performer rose to fame with Motown or Atlantic, he or she would produce little of note after leaving the label. Pickett, unfortunately, did not prove an exception to the rule.

His last big hit was "Fire and Water," in 1972. He continued to be active on the tour circuit; his most essential music, all from the 1960s and early '70s, was assembled for the superb Rhino double-CD anthology A Man and a Half. It's Harder Now, his first new material in over a decade, followed in 1999. Pickett spent the early part of the 2000s performing, before retiring in late 2004 due to ill health. He passed away on January 19, 2006, following a heart attack.

~ Richie Unterberger Top Albums Wilson Pickett | Biography & History | AllMusic google+ Artist Biography by Richie Unterberger Of the major '60s soul stars, Wilson Pickett was one of the roughest and sweatiest, working up some of the decade's hottest dancefloor grooves on hits like "In the Midnight Hour," "Land of 1000 Dances," "Mustang Sally," and "Funky Broadway." Although he tends to be held in somewhat lower esteem than more versatile talents like Otis Redding and Aretha Franklin , he is often a preferred alternative of fans who like their soul on the rawer side. He also did a good deal to establish the sound of Southern soul with his early hits, which were often written and recorded with the cream of the session musicians in Memphis and Muscle Shoals.

Before establishing himself as a solo artist, Pickett sang with the Falcons , who had a Top Ten R&B hit in 1962 with "I Found a Love." "If You Need Me" (covered by the Rolling Stones ) and "It's Too Late" were R&B hits for the singer before he hooked up with Atlantic Records, who sent him to record at Stax in Memphis in 1965. One early result was "In the Midnight Hour," whose chugging horn line, loping funky beats, and impassioned vocals combined into a key transitional performance that brought R&B into the soul age. It was an R&B chart-topper and a substantial pop hit (number 21), though its influence was stronger than that respectable position might indicate: thousands of bands, black and white, covered "In the Midnight Hour" on-stage and record in the 1960s. Pickett had a flurry of other galvanizing soul hits over the next few years, including "634-5789," "Mustang Sally," and "Funky Broadway," all of which, like "In the Midnight Hour," were frequently adapted by other bands as dance-ready numbers.

The king of that hill, though, had to be "Land of 1000 Dances," Pickett 's biggest pop hit (number six), a soul anthem of sorts with its roll call of popular dances, and covered by almost as many acts as "Midnight Hour" was. Pickett didn't confine himself to the environs of Stax for long; soon he was also cutting tracks at Muscle Shoals. He recorded several early songs by Bobby Womack . He used Duane Allman as a session guitarist on a hit cover of the Beatles ' "Hey Jude." He cut some hits in Philadelphia with Gamble & Huff productions in the early '70s. He even did a hit version of the Archies ' "Sugar, Sugar." The hits kept rolling through the early '70s, including "Don't Knock My Love" and "Get Me Back on Time, Engine Number 9." One of the corollaries of '60s soul is that if a performer rose to fame with Motown or Atlantic, he or she would produce little of note after leaving the label. Pickett , unfortunately, did not prove an exception to the rule.

His last big hit was "Fire and Water," in 1972. He continued to be active on the tour circuit; his most essential music, all from the 1960s and early '70s, was assembled for the superb Rhino double-CD anthology A Man and a Half . It's Harder Now , his first new material in over a decade, followed in 1999. Pickett spent the early part of the 2000s performing, before retiring in late 2004 due to ill health. He passed away on January 19, 2006, following a heart attack. 'Midnight Hour,' 'Mustang Sally' R& B Singer Wilson Pickett, 64 'Midnight Hour,' 'Mustang Sally' R& B Singer Wilson Pickett, 64 Wilson Pickett had his biggest hits in the 1960s before drugs and violence curtailed his career. He staged a successful comeback in the 1990s.

(By Regis Martin -- Getty Images) TOOLBOX Washington Post Staff Writer Friday, January 20, 2006 Wilson Pickett, 64, the impassioned, raw-voiced soul singer who brought a hard-edged, sensuous urgency to a string of rhythm-and-blues hits of the 1960s, died Jan. 19 of a heart attack at Reston Hospital Center. He had lived in Ashburn since 1999. One of the most exciting performers of his era, Mr. Pickett helped define the sound of classic soul music of the 1960s, along with Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, James Brown and Smokey Robinson. He often punctuated his songs with shouts, screams and grunts, giving his music a visceral quality that few other performers could match. He imbued his leading hits, including "In the Midnight Hour," "Mustang Sally," "Funky Broadway" and "Land of 1,000 Dances," with a rough, sweaty undertone that contained more than a hint of danger and lust.

The title of one of his best-selling records was "The Wicked Pickett," which became a nickname that Mr. Pickett wore with some well-earned justification. Throughout his life, a penchant for drugs and violence kept him in trouble, but his voice remained unchanged until his health forced him to stop performing about two years ago. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991 and received a further career boost that year when his music was featured in the film "The Commitments," about an Irish soul band. Mr. Pickett performed at the New York premiere of the movie and gained a new generation of fans. After a long period of eclipse, which included time in jail, Mr. Pickett made a strong comeback in 1999 with a new album, "It's Harder Now," that was nominated for a Grammy Award and received three W.C. Handy Blues Awards. Mr. Pickett was born in Prattville, Ala., on March 18, 1941.

The youngest of 11 children, he grew up in a stern home with a mother he called "the baddest woman in my book." "She used to hit me with anything, skillets, stove wood," he told Gerri Hirshey in "Nowhere to Run: The Story of Soul Music." Still, there was the solace of the church, where the young Mr. Pickett learned to sing. At 14, he moved to Detroit with his family and quickly joined informal groups singing on street corners. "Me and a million other dudes said 'later' to picking cotton," he told Hirshey. In 1959, he joined the Detroit vocal group the Falcons, which included future star Eddie Floyd and Joe Stubbs, the brother of Levi Stubbs of the Four Tops. Mr. Pickett wrote the group's 1962 hit, "I Found a Love," before going out on his own as a solo performer. He signed with Atlantic Records in 1964 but didn't find his musical stride until producer Jerry Wexler had the inspired idea of sending Mr. Pickett back to the South to record with Booker T.

& the MG's, the house band of Stax Records in Memphis. CONTINUED 1 Wilson Pickett | Free Internet Radio | Slacker Radio Otis Clay Biography Of the major '60s soul stars, Wilson Pickett was one of the roughest and sweatiest, working up some of the decade's hottest dancefloor grooves on hits like "In the Midnight Hour," "Land of 1000 Dances," "Mustang Sally," and "Funky Broadway." Although he tends to be held in somewhat lower esteem than more versatile talents like Otis Redding and Aretha Franklin, he is often a preferred alternative of fans who like their soul on the rawer side. He also did a good deal to establish the sound of Southern soul with his early hits, which were often written and recorded with the cream of the session musicians in Memphis and Muscle Shoals.

Before establishing himself as a solo artist, Pickett sang with the Falcons, who had a Top Ten R&B hit in 1962 with "I Found a Love." "If You Need Me" (covered by the Rolling Stones) and "It's Too Late" were R&B hits for the singer before he hooked up with Atlantic Records, who sent him to record at Stax in Memphis in 1965. One early result was "In the Midnight Hour," whose chugging horn line, loping funky beats, and impassioned vocals combined into a key transitional performance that brought R&B into the soul age. It was an R&B chart-topper and a substantial pop hit (number 21), though its influence was stronger than that respectable position might indicate: thousands of bands, black and white, covered "In the Midnight Hour" on-stage and record in the 1960s. Pickett had a flurry of other galvanizing soul hits over the next few years, including "634-5789," "Mustang Sally," and "Funky Broadway," all of which, like "In the Midnight Hour," were frequently adapted by other bands as dance-ready numbers.

The king of that hill, though, had to be "Land of 1000 Dances," Pickett's biggest pop hit (number six), a soul anthem of sorts with its roll call of popular dances, and covered by almost as many acts as "Midnight Hour" was. Pickett didn't confine himself to the environs of Stax for long; soon he was also cutting tracks at Muscle Shoals. He recorded several early songs by Bobby Womack. He used Duane Allman as a session guitarist on a hit cover of the Beatles' "Hey Jude." He cut some hits in Philadelphia with Gamble & Huff productions in the early '70s. He even did a hit version of the Archies' "Sugar, Sugar." The hits kept rolling through the early '70s, including "Don't Knock My Love" and "Get Me Back on Time, Engine Number 9." One of the corollaries of '60s soul is that if a performer rose to fame with Motown or Atlantic, he or she would produce little of note after leaving the label. Pickett, unfortunately, did not prove an exception to the rule.

His last big hit was "Fire and Water," in 1972. He continued to be active on the tour circuit; his most essential music, all from the 1960s and early '70s, was assembled for the superb Rhino double-CD anthology A Man and a Half. It's Harder Now, his first new material in over a decade, followed in 1999. Pickett spent the early part of the 2000s performing, before retiring in late 2004 due to ill health. He passed away on January 19, 2006, following a heart attack.

~ Richie Unterberger Wilson Pickett, 64; Soul Legend Sang Hits 'In the Midnight Hour,' 'Mustang Sally' - latimes Wilson Pickett, 64; Soul Legend Sang Hits 'In the Midnight Hour,' 'Mustang Sally' January 20, 2006 |Geoff Boucher | Times Staff Writer Wilson Pickett, the Alabama-born soul singer who brought a raw groove and growling energy to 1960s R & B music, with hits such as "In the Midnight Hour" and "Mustang Sally," died Thursday. He was 64. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member died at a hospital near his Reston, Va., home after suffering a heart attack, according to a statement released by his personal manager, Margo Lewis. Chris Tuthill, of the management company Talent Source, said Pickett had been suffering from health problems for the last year. His career spanned four decades and, before slowing down in 2005, he had continued to perform, earning a Grammy nomination for the 1999 album "It's Harder Now," which also received three W.C.

Handy Awards, the in-genre trophy for blues and soul recordings. Despite his longevity as a recording artist, his career was truly defined by his raspy, forceful delivery on a run of '60s R & B hits, among them "Land of 1000 Dances," "Funky Broadway" and the telephonic "634-5789." For The Record Los Angeles Times Sunday January 22, 2006 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 2 National Desk 1 inches; 43 words Type of Material: Correction Pickett obituary -- The obituary of soul legend Wilson Pickett in Friday's California section said Jerry Wexler had worked with Aretha Franklin and Dusty Springfield before producing Pickett's 1965 sessions for Stax Records. Wexler worked with Franklin in 1966 and Springfield in 1969. The singer was nicknamed "the Wicked Pickett" for his gruff power, and no recording captured that intensity more famously than the revving 1966 hit "Mustang Sally," released by Atlantic Records.

That song and "In the Midnight Hour" were touchstone hits for young 1960s music fans, and they were revived memorably for a new generation by the 1991 Alan Parker film "The Commitments" and its hit soundtrack. The popular film's plot is about a scruffy collective of young Irish musicians and their ill-fated attempt to meet and perform with their hero, Pickett. Pickett never actually appears in the film (he did show up in two less-celebrated movies, "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," in 1978, and "Blues Brothers 2000") but he tapped into the film's spirit and success by performing at the Los Angeles and New York premieres of the movie. That was a shining moment, but his own youth had been as gritty and melancholy as the hard-luck north Dublin characters in "The Commitments." Pickett was born March 18, 1941, in Prattville, Ala., and his earliest music experience was in Baptist church choirs. His home life, as the youngest of 11 children, was less uplifting. "The baddest woman in my book ...

my mother," the singer told author Gerri Hirshey for the book "Nowhere to Run: The Story of Soul Music." "I get scared of her now. She used to hit me with anything, skillets, stove wood ... [one time I ran away and] cried for a week. Stayed in the woods, me and my little dog." Pickett recalled that he got another beating when his preacher grandfather caught him with a copy of Louis Jordan's raucous but tame hit, "Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens." Eventually he had enough, and as a teen he went north to live with his father in Detroit. There, Pickett performed in the gospel harmony group the Violinaires in the 1950s, but by the end of the decade he was pushing into more secular sounds, as were many of his contemporaries who had brought their Southern church sounds north but were ready to move on. In 1959, Pickett became a member of the Falcons, along with future Memphis soul notables Joe Stubbs (brother of Levi Stubbs of the Four Tops), Sir Mack Rice and Eddie Floyd.

The Falcons' hit "I Found a Love" helped land Pickett a deal with Atlantic Records. There he hooked up with renowned producer Jerry Wexler. Wexler would be a guiding hand during the 1965 sessions for Stax Records that included the memorable recording of "In the Midnight Hour," a hit that found Pickett delivering a performance that was somehow both polished and raw at the same time. Wexler, who had worked with Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Bob Dylan and Dusty Springfield, said those Pickett sessions were easily among his most memorable moments. "There was something about those records and Wilson's voice -- those were some of the funkiest, deepest-grooving, in-the-pocket recordings I ever heard," Wexler said Thursday from his home in Florida. "The thing about Wilson was he was just a great screamer, but he did it with control. James Brown would scream and it was a scream, but Wilson could scream notes. His voice was powerful, like a buzz saw, but it wasn't ever out of his control, it was always melodic." Wexler described Pickett as a "black panther" in those days before the term took on a political connotation.

The expression spoke to the singer's glower and confidence, but those same traits may have hindered Pickett's career. Steve Cropper, the guitarist in Booker T and the MGs, was a key sideman in the soul explosion of the 1960s, and he co-wrote "In the Midnight Hour" with Pickett. He said Thursday that the same passion that produced magic on vinyl could rub people raw in person -- it was also one of the reasons that Pickett's career never earned the acclaim of singers such as Al Green and Sam Cooke or the fiery but charismatic Otis Redding. Wilson Pickett’s Biography — Free listening, videos, concerts, stats and photos at Last.fm Listeners Biography Wilson Pickett (March 18, 1941 – January 19, 2006) was an American R&B and soul singer. Known for his raw, passionate delivery, he played a major role in developing southern soul music.

Aided immeasurably by the excellent studio bands backing him at the Stax Studios in Memphis, Tennessee and at the Fame Studio in Muscle Shoals Alabama, Pickett created iconic hits such as " In the Midnight Hour ," " Mustang Sally ," and " Funky Broadway " for Atlantic Records between 1963 and 1972. One of the most popular black singers of the 60s , Wilson Pickett helped introduce the aggressive, rhythmic style of black music to a wide audience and has influenced almost countless rnb artists over the years. It all got started in Prattville, Alabama, where he was raised. Pickett moved to Detroit, Michigan at the age of sixteen, and he made his professional debut spending several years singing with the gospel group The Violinaires in the late 50s . From 1961 to 1963, he was in The Falcons , writing and singing their 1962 hit " I Found A Love ".

Pickett then went solo and signed with Lloyd Price's Double L Records, where he wrote and recorded "If You Love Me" and "It's Too Late." In 1964, Pickett signed with Atlantic Records and did his early recordings in the Stax studio in Memphis, Tennessee with Booker T. Jones and Steve Cropper of The MGs. Cropper co-authored three of his early hits, "In the Midnight Hour" and "Don't Fight It from his debut album The Exciting Wilson Pickett that established him as a major soul star. The album also included "Ninety-Nine and a Half (Won't Do)," "She's So Good to Me," and "Land of a 1,000 Dances," all recorded at Fame Studio in Muscle Shoals. Pickett then had hits with "Mustang Sally," "I Found a Love," and "Funky Broadway," all recorded in Muscle Shoals. Pickett then teamed with Bobby Womack in 1968 for Midnight Mover that yielded a Top 10 R7B and pop hit with Womack's title song.

In 1969, Pickett had a major hit with The Beatles "Hey Jude,", followed in 1970 by "Sugar, Sugar." Later in 1970, Pickett worked with producers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia. The result was two crossover hits "Engine Number Nine," and "Don't Let the Green Grass Fool You." After crossover hits "Don't Knock My Love - Part 1" and "Fire and Water" Pickett left Atlantic for RCA, with minimum success. Pickett later recorded for several record companies, including his own Wicked label, but failed to have anymore hits. Wilson Pickett was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991.In 1999 he performed with his friend Bruce Springsteen.In 2002 he performed in the movie Only The Strong Survive.Singing his classic hits like In the Midnight hour and Land Of 1000 Dances.In 2004 Pickett retired from performing do to Health problems.Pickett told his sister he was going to the field of God but he never recovered.

On January 19,2006 Pickett died of a heart attack at his home.At his funeral long time friend Richard Pennimen (Little Richard) did a eulogy for Mr Pickett with his brothers at his funeral. Pickett's Personal life was troubled.His friends said he was an owner of guns.In 1993 he struck a pedestrian Pepe Ruiz.Later that year Ruiz died.Soul Singer Don Covay called him "Young and Wild".Pickett was arrested many times in his life. Legendary Soul Singer Wilson Pickett Dies | Fox News Legendary Soul Singer Wilson Pickett Dies Published January 20, 2006 Facebook 0 Twitter 0 Email Print NEW YORK – Wilson Pickett, the soul singer with the raspy voice and passionate delivery behind the hits "Mustang Sally" and "In the Midnight Hour," has died at age 64. Pickett died after a heart attack in a Reston, Va., hospital, said Chris Tuthill of management company Talent Source, which represented him. The singer lived in Ashburn, Va. "He did his part.

It was a great ride, a great trip, I loved him and I'm sure he was well-loved, and I just hope that he's given his props," Michael Wilson Pickett, the singer's son, told WRC-TV in Washington. Known as "Wicked Pickett," he became a star with such 1960s hits as "In the Midnight Hour," which made the top 25 on the Billboard pop charts in 1965 and "Mustang Sally," which did the same the following year. The Alabama-born Pickett got his start singing gospel music in church. After moving to Detroit as a teen, he joined the Falcons, which scored the hit "I Found a Love" with Pickett as lead singer in 1962. Pickett went solo a year later and would soon find his greatest success. In 1965, he linked with soul producer Jerry Wexler at Stax Records in Memphis and recorded one of his greatest hits, "In the Midnight Hour," for Atlantic Records.

A string of hits followed, including "634-5789," "Funky Broadway" and "Mustang Sally." His sensuous brand of soul contrasted sharply with the songs put out by his Detroit counterparts at Motown Records . "A fellow Detroiter, Wilson Pickett was one of the greatest soul singers of all time." Aretha Franklin said in a statement. "He will absolutely be missed. I am thankful that I got the chance to speak to him not too long ago." Roger Friedman, FOXNews.com entertainment columnist and a friend who featured Pickett in his 2002 documentary on soul music greats, "Only the Strong Survive," said Pickett was "Atlantic's answer to James Brown. "He wrote his own songs ... he was very, very musically adept, and look at his contribution — look how many of his songs have been covered?" Friedman told The Associated Press on Thursday. As Pickett entered a new decade, he had less success on the charts but still scored a few more hits, including "Don't Let The Green Grass Fool You." "Like all these great legends of R&B, when disco came in, it really impacted their careers," Friedman said.

"What Americans don't realize is they have all continued to be incredibly popular in Europe — every summer, touring Europe to incredible crowds." Still, Pickett suffered through some tough times. In 1991, he was arrested for allegedly yelling death threats while driving a car over the mayor's front lawn in Englewood, N.J., and less than a year later was charged with assaulting his girlfriend. In 1993, he was convicted of drunken driving and sentenced to a year in jail and five years' probation after hitting an 86-year-old man with his car. In 1987, he was given two years' probation and fined $1,000 for carrying a loaded shotgun in his car. Besides his induction into the Hall of Fame in 1991, Pickett was given the Pioneer award by the Rhythm and Blues Foundation two years later. He also cast a long shadow and served as role model in the 1991 film "The Commitments" without appearing in the film. "If I wasn't in show business I don't know what I would have been — a wanderer or something, you know?" he said in a 2001 interview.

"But God blessed me with the talent and the chance. I knocked on enough doors and this is what I can give myself credit for." Friedman said he had just spoken to Pickett last week and he seemed optimistic he would be able to put recent health troubles aside and perform again. "We had just a great talk," he said. "He really wanted to get back to business." Advertisement Wilson Pickett - Mustang Sally - YouTube Wilson Pickett - Mustang Sally Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later.

Published on Jul 30, 2014 Of the major '60s soul stars, Wilson Pickett was one of the roughest and sweatiest, working up some of the decade's hottest dancefloor grooves on hits like "In the Midnight Hour," "Land of 1000 Dances," "Mustang Sally," and "Funky Broadway." Although he tends to be held in somewhat lower esteem than more versatile talents like Otis Redding and Aretha Franklin, he is often a preferred alternative of fans who like their soul on the rawer side. He also did a good deal to establish the sound of Southern soul with his early hits, which were often written and recorded with the cream of the session musicians in Memphis and Muscle Shoals. Before establishing himself as a solo artist, Pickett sang with the Falcons, who had a Top Ten R&B hit in 1962 with "I Found a Love." "If You Need Me" (covered by the Rolling Stones) and "It's Too Late" were R&B hits for the singer before he hooked up with Atlantic Records, who sent him to record at Stax in Memphis in 1965.

One early result was "In the Midnight Hour," whose chugging horn line, loping funky beats, and impassioned vocals combined into a key transitional performance that brought R&B into the soul age. It was an R&B chart-topper and a substantial pop hit (number 21), though its influence was stronger than that respectable position might indicate: thousands of bands, black and white, covered "In the Midnight Hour" on-stage and record in the 1960s. Pickett had a flurry of other galvanizing soul hits over the next few years, including "634-5789," "Mustang Sally," and "Funky Broadway," all of which, like "In the Midnight Hour," were frequently adapted by other bands as dance-ready numbers. The king of that hill, though, had to be "Land of 1000 Dances," Pickett's biggest pop hit (number six), a soul anthem of sorts with its roll call of popular dances, and covered by almost as many acts as "Midnight Hour" was. Pickett didn't confine himself to the environs of Stax for long; soon he was also cutting tracks at Muscle Shoals.

He recorded several early songs by Bobby Womack. He used Duane Allman as a session guitarist on a hit cover of the Beatles' "Hey Jude." He cut some hits in Philadelphia with Gamble & Huff productions in the early '70s. He even did a hit version of the Archies' "Sugar, Sugar." The hits kept rolling through the early '70s, including "Don't Knock My Love" and "Get Me Back on Time, Engine Number 9." One of the corollaries of '60s soul is that if a performer rose to fame with Motown or Atlantic, he or she would produce little of note after leaving the label. Pickett, unfortunately, did not prove an exception to the rule. His last big hit was "Fire and Water," in 1972. He continued to be active on the tour circuit; his most essential music, all from the 1960s and early '70s, was assembled for the superb Rhino double-CD anthology A Man and a Half. It's Harder Now, his first new material in over a decade, followed in 1999.

Pickett spent the early part of the 2000s performing, before retiring in late 2004 due to ill health. He passed away on January 19, 2006, following a heart attack. ~ Richie Unterberger, Rovi PLEASE NOTE: I divided my uploads among multiple channels, Bookmark this link in your browser for instant access to an index with links to all of John1948's oldies classics. LINK: Category Wilson Pickett | New Music And Songs | Wilson Pickett About Wilson Pickett Of the major '60s soul stars, Wilson Pickett was one of the roughest and sweatiest, working up some of the decade's hottest dancefloor grooves on hits like "In the Midnight Hour," "Land of 1000 Dances," "Mustang Sally," and "Funky Broadway." Although he tends to be held in somewhat lower esteem than more versatile talents like Otis Redding and Aretha Franklin, he is often a preferred alternative of fans who like their soul on the rawer side.

He also did a good deal to establish the sound of Southern soul with his early hits, which were often written and recorded with the cream of the session musicians in Memphis and Muscle Shoals. Before establishing himself as a solo artist, Pickett sang with the Falcons, who had a Top Ten R&B hit in 1962 with "I Found a Love." "If You Need Me" (covered by the Rolling Stones) and "It's Too Late" were R&B hits for the singer before he hooked up with Atlantic Records, who sent him to record at Stax in Memphis in 1965. One early result was "In the Midnight Hour," whose chugging horn line, loping funky beats, and impassioned vocals combined into a key transitional performance that brought R&B into the soul age. It was an R&B chart-topper and a substantial pop hit (number 21), though its influence was stronger than that respectable position might indicate: thousands of bands, black and white, covered "In the Midnight Hour" on-stage and record in the 1960s.

Pickett had a flurry of other galvanizing soul hits over the next few years, including "634-5789," "Mustang Sally," and "Funky Broadway," all of which, like "In the Midnight Hour," were frequently adapted by other bands as dance-ready numbers. The king of that hill, though, had to be "Land of 1000 Dances," Pickett's biggest pop hit (number six), a soul anthem of sorts with its roll call of popular dances, and covered by almost as many acts as "Midnight Hour" was. Pickett didn't confine himself to the environs of Stax for long; soon he was also cutting tracks at Muscle Shoals. He recorded several early songs by Bobby Womack. He used Duane Allman as a session guitarist on a hit cover of the Beatles' "Hey Jude." He cut some hits in Philadelphia with Gamble & Huff productions in the early '70s.

He even did a hit version of the Archies' "Sugar, Sugar." The hits kept rolling through the early '70s, including "Don't Knock My Love" and "Get Me Back on Time, Engine Number 9." One of the corollaries of '60s soul is that if a performer rose to fame with Motown or Atlantic, he or she would produce little of note after leaving the label. Pickett, unfortunately, did not prove an exception to the rule. His last big hit was "Fire and Water," in 1972. He continued to be active on the tour circuit; his most essential music, all from the 1960s and early '70s, was assembled for the superb Rhino double-CD anthology A Man and a Half. It's Harder Now, his first new material in over a decade, followed in 1999. Pickett spent the early part of the 2000s performing, before retiring in late 2004 due to ill health. He passed away on January 19, 2006, following a heart attack. ~ Richie Unterberger, Rovi Hear more of

Question: Who was the singer who had big hits with 'In The Midnight Hour' and 'Mustang Sally'?
Answer: Wilson Pickett